THREE FORKS HISTORY: Artist painted four corners of state
Aug. 12—Oklahoma State Capitol has recently completed a multi-million-dollar restoration bringing the building beyond the splendor of its past. Manhattan Construction Company, which in its early days was headquartered in Muskogee's Manhattan Building, undertook the renovation which took several years to complete.
One of the features in this historic building is the many pieces of art that adorn its walls. Four paintings which collectively are titled "Visions of the Land," were created by Oklahoma artist Wilson Hurley. These paintings were commissioned by Betty Price, director of the Oklahoma Arts Council at the time and a graduate of Muskogee's Central High School.
Wilson Hurley was the son of Brigadier General Patrick Hurley who was born in the Choctaw Nation and had spent several years in Muskogee while working on area ranches and attending Indian University (Bacone College).
Patrick Hurley then earned a law degree and set up practice in Tulsa where Wilson was born in 1924. General Hurley served as Secretary of War for President Hoover but also saw action during both World Wars.
Wilson Hurley felt an interest in art from a young age, but his father expected the boy to follow in his footsteps. Hurley attended the military academy at West Point and served as a fighter pilot in World War II and Vietnam.
Like his father, he also received a law degree and set up a law practice. But the law was not his passion, so he closed his office in the mid-1960s to focus on art. His specialty was landscape painting, and his work is often compared to other western artists such as Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Moran.
His suite of paintings at the Capitol were intended to represent the diversity of Oklahoma's land. Hurley traveled the state looking for scenes from each of its four corners. The northwest painting is from Roman Nose State Park. The southwest view was painted at Anadarko. The southeast painting portrays the Middle Boggy River near Lehigh and northeast Oklahoma was captured in the woods near Tahlequah.
When Hurley began working as an artist, he went five years before ever selling a painting. But he did not let that discourage him. When he began the "Visions" series he was 75 years old. His stunning landscapes brought him much recognition and eventually he could command a good price for each painting.
When interviewed about his art, Hurley said, "I think art...should be pleasant, uplifting and joyful." He wanted his art to find beauty in the world and he certainly captured the beauty that is found in Oklahoma.
Reach Jonita Mullins at jonita.mullins@gmail.com.
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